Railroad-tie and rail-lock.



A. M. THREEWITS. RAILROAD TIE AND RAIL LOCK. APPLICATION FILED 05c. 3. ma.

1,157,459. v Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

61 Route 11 COLUMBIA PLANOuRAPH CO.,WASHINUTON. n. c.

yam

ALVIN M. THBEEWITS, OF QENTERVILLE, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-TIE Aim RAIL-LOCK;

Zh-aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN M.,THRnnwrrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Centerville, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented new, and useful Improvementsin Railroad-Ties and Rail-Locks, of which the following,is a specification. v I

.This invention relates to railroad ties and rail locks, and the primary objects of. the

invention are to provide a simple, economical, reliable, durable, convenient, anti-creeping, all metal railroad tie which will afford the-necessary cushion to the rails and. to the rolling stock, etc the said tie being adapted to. receive a coating of pitch tar which greatly addsto the life of the; tie.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tie and rail lock that combines safety, trength, economy, convenience, simplicity, vand efficiency to the highest degree, I guards the railsagainst being tampered with by malicious persons.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the'nature of the invention is more fully disclosed the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts setiforth in and falling within thescope ofv the appended claim.. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of the blank from which the tie is formed. Fig.2 isa side elevation ofthe tie. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same showing the common rail positioned thereon. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view illustrating the wider notched flanged railsecured to the tie. Fig. 5. is a, central longitudinal sectional view takencentrally of Fig. 3. 'Fig. 6 is a detail perspective viewlooking toward the end of V the tie. Fig. 7, is a transverse, sectional view taken through the tie.

Figs. 8 and '9 are side andend views respectively of the wedge members; Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are front, rear and side views respectively of the clamp member. 7

The tie contemplated in this invention is all metal and. is formed-preferably. of sheet steel, which islbentto provide a structure which is substantially L-shaped in cross section. The tiethus constructed, comprises Specification of'LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Application filed December 3, 1913. Serial No. 804,486.

a flat top or body 1, and a singlelongitudinally extending flange 2, the samebeing of a length equaling that of the tie along one side or edge thereof, and of a suitable depth to make said tie is adapted to be embedded in the road bed or ballast of the railroad system.

By providing the tie with only a single flangeextending along one side of the body, the body of the tie is sustained flexible and resilient to a desired extent and the insertion, of the ballasting material beneath the top or body of the tie is not interfered with, thus enabling the tie to be perfectly and practicallyutilizedbefore and after it has been connected with the rails. I

In order to prevent the longitudinal movement of the tie,'the latter is provided with flanges 3, atboth its ends, which, when the tie is in place are firmly embedded in the road bed. These flanges do not interfere in any way with the insertionof the ballast under the top or body- 1 of the tie but assist in retaining the said ballast beneath the tie. By the construction described, a firm and reliable anchorage of the tie in the road and ballast is obtained, preventing both longitudinal and transverse movement of the said tie.

' The tie, as heretofore stated, is preferably constructed of a singlepiece ofsteel or other malleable material, and the side 2,, as well as the end 3 are each formed integrally with the body 1, the side 2 is bent at rightangles to the top or body or upon the score line designated by the numeral 4, and the ends are likewiseformed by being bent upon the score lines 5,. The flange 2 is formed with a lip 7 as illustrated in the blank shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and the width of the end members 3 is slightly lesser than the width of the combined top and sides 2, and the end sections 3 are slitted at the juncture of the score lines 4 and 5 to provide an upper tongue 7 for the side 2 and a lower tongue for the end 3. The hp. 6 is divided from the lip 7 through the medium of the transverse slit and it will be noted that when the flanges Q-and 3 are bent upon their scores and at right angles to the body 1, the. lips, 6 and 7. extend at righteangles to the tie sufficiently strong, the

each other. The lip 6 is adaptedto be bent over the end 3, while the lip 7 is bent over the side 2, and these lips may be'riveted to gether ifdesired, but from practice 1t has been, found that such a course is notessential. I It will be noted that by constructing the lips as shown'and described, the lip 7 will lap around the corner below the lip 6 and, hold the side 2, thus effectively holding the sides and ends together.

The top or body 1 is provided adjacent its ends with longitudinally extending, preferably rectangular cutaway portions 8 and 9. These cut awayportions 8 and 9 are arranged in'pairs and-each of the said pairs of openings are sufficiently spaced away from each other a little less than the width of the base flanges 10, of the rail 11. By

reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 45 of the drawings it will be noted that the rectangular openings 8 and 9. extend a suitable distance be- *yond: the edges of the baserflanges 10 of. each ofthe-rails' 11, and adapted to be inserted within each of. the said openings is'what I term a clamping member 12. All of the clamping members are of. a'similar' construction,'-"and are, of course adapted'to engage each of the edges of V'thebase flanges 10 of. the rails. Each of the clamps 12comprises a central rounded neckportion 13', the same being'of a length between the shoulders pro vided thereby, equaling the thickness ofthe topiorbody of the tie. Thelower portion of the clamp'is formed with diametrically opposite extending fingers 14, which .are integrall'y formedwith'the neck 13, and the combined length of these fingers is nearly equal to'the length of the openings 8 and 9.

of the neck is nearly equal to the width or the rectangular openings 8 and 9, and the The thickness of the fingers, as well as that portion of the clamp directly above the neck is formed with an ofif-set head 15, substantially as shown. The inner face of the head 15 is serrated as at 16, and the said Serra tions are adapted to engage with similar ser-' rations 17, provided upon the longitudinal edges of the base flanges ofthe rails, asin the structure illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings; 7 V [In the remaining figures of the drawings the serrations '16 of the head 15 engage with the smooth'edges of the base flanges'of the ordinary rails.

In positioning the clamps it is merely necessary to have their fingers arranged longitudinally. of the rectangular openings of the tie toinsert the said clamps, and by merely turning the same so that its rounded neckwill turn in the elongated openings 8 or 9, and the key parts 14 engage with the walls adjacent the openings inthe tie will hold the clamp, and the said clamp may be formed with a brought tightly into engagement'with the flanges of the rails. In order to secure the clamp in this position I'have provided a wedge member'18, thiswedge member has its inner face serrated as at 19, and the said serrations areadapted to engage with the outer'fac'e'or lower backcorner of the clamp.

The ;lower outer corner of the clamp projecting tooth formed with an outwardly the teeth or serrations '19 of the wedge 18. Again, if'desired' the wedge 18 may have both of its faces serrated so that the same engaging the outer walls-formed byJ-the openings will be effectively prevented. from becoming loosened.

From the abovedescription,;taken in connection with the accompanying, drawings,

"it will be noted that theties are constructed the same co-acting with p '75 r scientifically and: meet every requirement,

having every, desired feature without weakening the tie. "The tie is adapted to becoated with pitch tar which greatly addstothe i l life thereof- It guards the and 'sustainsthe same in lation -with each other. The railtielock maybe quickly and conveniently positioned rails effectively proper spaced re-' upon the tie withjtheemployment; of only f ordinary tools, such as-a'hammejr or the like. The tie is anti-creeping. The rail clamp lock-is 'also anti-creeping. i Thetieis easily positioned upon thejro'ad bed and ef- 4 fectively holds the ballast.solidly'underit.

The tie is alsoconstructed of a single piece of material without the employment of riv-" ets or other holding devices'and therail clampican not be removed when once PQSl-a tioned upon the tie without-the employment of a special pry bar. V V I Having thus described the invention what I claim as new, is

. r 'Incombination with a hollow metal tie having its top provided with an, elongated V open ng, of a rail clamp including .a web or neck having its opposite sides rounded, at V 7 head formed with. the neck and extending laterally from the rounded sides thereof,

said head having its inner faoelprovidedi with vertically disposed teeth and being fingers adapted to engage with theunderface of the top of the tie when the securing member is passed through the openings and ro- 1'25', ing formed upon their. lower cornersdias metrically oppositethatof the flange ofthe head with an outwardly projectinglug, a

tated therein andthecfingers' of the web'beportion thereof,"the neck 8 top of the tie and haythat provided with its through the opening of the tie to bind against the end Wall thereof and against'the Y outer face 'of the clamp to have one of its teeth'engage with the lug of the said clamp.

Gopies of this pat'ent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of Witnesses.

I ALVIN M.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WESTHAFER, W. WJHOUSEWORTH, R. H. HOUSEWORTH.

THREEWITS.

Washington, D. 0. i 

